After Paris Attack, See What Britain Will Do To Extremists In Prison

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The attack on police officials by an extremist in Paris that led to the death of one official has drawn different reactions from around the world.

The gunman identified as a French national, who was killed by police in Champs-Elysees minutes after he opened fire on a police van, was report to have served
several years in prison for firing on police officers with a gun in the early
2000s.

Thursday's attack, which was like déjà vu, may have added impetus to assertions that serving a jail term was not
enough to deter an individual from crime and the fear that extremists in jail may begin the radicalisation of
inmates is also rising.

In the United Kingdom, this fear is being confirmed by the Ministry of
Justice (MoJ) which said on Friday it would begin separating dangerous
extremists from the mainstream prison population in Britain.

Can It Tackle Extremism?

The MoJ said three separation centres would be created, and would form part
of the wider government strategy to tackle extremism in prisons.

China’s news agency, Xinhua reports that the new rules, published by
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the MoJ, Sam Gyimah, will see the new
separation centres holding the most subversive offenders to prevent them from influencing
other prisoners.

An amendment to prison rules has been laid before the British Parliament on Friday
so the authorities could place prisoners in the new centres if they were
involved in planning terrorism, or are considered to pose a risk to national
security.

“Those who are spreading views that might encourage or influence others to
commit terrorism crimes, or anyone whose views are being used in a way which
undermines good order and security in prisons, may also be placed in one of the
centres,” said an MoJ spokesman in London.

The first centre will be up and running at Frankland Prison in northeast
England in the coming weeks, with two further units to follow at other prison
establishments.

Gyimah said: “Any form of extremism must be defeated wherever it is found,
and it is right that we separate those who pose the greatest risk in order to
limit their influence over other prisoners.

“These centres are a crucial part of our wider strategy to help tackle
extremism in prisons and ensure the safety and security of both our prisons and
the wider public”.

Once in a centre, prisoners will be reviewed by experts every three months
and will only be returned to the mainstream prison population if it is
considered that the risk they present has reduced.

The centres form part of the wider strategy to tackle extremism, which
includes the formation of a new directorate for security, order and
counter-terrorism, responsible for monitoring and dealing with the evolving
threat of extremism.

It will also see extremist literature being banned from prisons, and the
removal of anyone from communal worship who is promoting dangerous views.

In addition, a new training package to identify, report and combat extremism
is to be rolled out to all prison officers.